A Different World

I have been absent for awile. While we were in Florida last January, we received unexpected news that our son Daniel had died. Alone. After seeing a doctor for a pain in his back. We are devastated. Christmas with Daniel was so happy. He was generous to his neices and nephews, and to his father and myself. Fortunately, he had many loving coworkers that had monitored him the week of his death. He felt that he would stay in the U.S. He loved it there and that is great comfort. Our family will never be the same. I have started sewing and knitting again.

 

CREATIVE FESTIVAL - TORONTO

SETTING THE SLEEVE WITH KENNETH KING. As soon as I saw the row of sewing machines I knew I was in for a long tense session. I have a 1980 Singer and I got flop sweat just approaching the brand new machines. Thank God a young Australian woman beside me threaded the machine. Mr. King gave an excellent demo and we started. Well, I realized later the lights over the outside row were dimmed. Plus, I had navy wool. I thought I had gone blind from the sheer panic of being out of my league. Started to tell myself that the others(who were sewing up a storm) obviously did not need this course and were only there to show off. Ok, I have a tendency to blame others. I was feeling humiliated and defeated. Managed to fill in the time and prayed for the end. It came, but not soon enough and not before they drew a name of the person that would take home the sleeve and lapel(from the first class) completed by K.K. Guess who won? I left clutching my trophy.

SERGING 101. Ever since I retired I have had my eyes on acquiring a serger.
Finally, decided to take this course to familiarize myself and maybe decide one way or the other. Wonderful introductory course. The machines were Husquvarna (sp). Unfortunately at the end of same, the woman beside me told me "I love my H but if I were to do it again I would look at the self threading serger". That is what I had eyeballed for a few years. So, with out a care in the world or a thought to my bank account, I went down stairs and purchased same, and of course I had to buy the bestest and mostest and probably the costliest. Not that I am impulsive. No regrets.

Came back, motivated and feeling energized and full of plans and ideas. Think I will go again for the third year. However, I plan on staying within my sewing skills. Last year it was a too advanced knitting. Maybe I will try that again.

Creativity

It is not a lack of creativity that holds me back. It is fear of failure and looking ridiculous. This being how I see myself, one would wonder that if I could come back as any designer, it would be the outrageously creative Mr. John Galliano. Eversince I saw his C.D. fashion show in the train station in Paris I was smitten. What skill and sheer audacity. Where can you buy this. I blame my mother(don't we all) for my inability to go into the public without confidence. Eversince she forbade my going uptown in the 60's in my Toronto get-up of black lisle stockings and a sleeveless sweater, both way too outrageous for the area, I have had to build up the belief that I have a right to be as artsy looking as I please. Going out today......oh, dear. What to wear to the local fabric store.